The Washington Post Op-Ed page, not typically a place I expect much of in the way of insight, draws a bead on one of the biggest problems facing Virginia.
The Washington Post Op-Ed page, not typically a place I expect much of in the way of insight, draws a bead on one of the biggest problems facing Virginia.
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Amit
we want election reform from those being elected? cold day in …
I would love if they just removed party affiliation and incumbent status from the ballot. at least that way you actually have to have 2 brain cells to vote down party lines.
MB
Not at all with you on that. Your hope is that it will filter voting for those that bother to do a decent job of informing themselves about the candidate, right? Me, I’m in favor of providing as much info about the candidate as possible at the point of voting. All about efficiency in the marketplace of ideas, right? :)
In any event, I don’t think it would have as positive an impact on shaking things up as you hope. So long as we’ve got our two party system in place, the leadership I can expect a candidate to vote for is at least as important as the views of the candidates themselves. As discussed, my Arlington delegate candidate can have the best ideas in the world, but so long as he’s going to vote for Bill Howell and the rest of the Know Nothing Caucus in Richmond, he won’t get my vote (because his ideas will get nowhere). Party matters. Greatly.
MB
And as to electoral reform from the elected, we *almost* had a chance at it last year. I’ll let you sort out who killed it.
Amit
part of the reason we have a strong 2 party system is because we put party affiliation on the ballot and we perpetuate voting for dummies. I am for more information to the voters but a letter next to a name is hardly adequate. the electoral process is crucial to our well being and it doesn’t function with an uninformed citizenry.
perhaps instead of a letter each candidate has to provide stances on 5 or 6 issues of the day and then the voters choose who they want. I know this is all a pipe dream but as voters get dumber the politicians will get more corrupt.
and are you saying you’re not voting for Eric? tsk tsk :-)